Reclamation - Draco Malfoy
by ForensicFuentes
Summary: It's the year after the Battle of Hogwarts. Former Quidditch superstar Hudson Orth is invited to Hogwarts to complete her studies, where she meets a boy struggling to move on. It's a year of reclamation and change for everyone - everyone that can make it to the end...
1. One

Just as I thought my life couldn't get any better, it was put on hold.

Okay, so that was a little dramatic. My life wasn't put on hold, per say. My career was. To me, though, my career was my entire life. Up until about six months ago, I was the youngest professional Quidditch player in the league, playing for one of the best teams - the Ireland National Team. It was a huge accomplishment for myself and my family. It was all I had ever wanted to do.

My injury came as no shock to me. A selfish duel left me temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Now, for any normal witch, it would most likely be permanent, but I was surrounded by the best muggle and wizard doctors in the country. With a little help from both, I was walking again in five and a half months. My quidditch career, however, was going to be postponed for a while longer. My doctor hadn't cleared me for Quidditch yet. He told me it could be another year before I was able to play again.

After my injury, I stayed in Ireland and worked at a small cafe to bide my time until I could play again. It wasn't the best job but it kept me busy. A distraction was all I really needed.

It wasn't until I got a personal letter from Minerva McGonagall that my life seemed to be looking up again.

A small tapping on my window woke me from a short-lived nap. I sat up in my bed and checked the clock on the wall. Noon. I opened the window to see the family owl, Malice, a beautiful, brown Great Horned Owl. She flew inside and landed right on my desk. She waited expectantly for me to take the rolled parchment from her mouth. I gave her a pat on the head and she cooed before flying back out the window.

I opened the scroll to see the large Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry crest at the top.

It read:

"Miss Hudson Orth

2nd floor, 13 Acacia Trace

Galway, Ireland

Dear Miss. Orth,

I am pleased to inform you that we at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry do hereby invite you to complete your final term with us during our grand reopening. It is to our knowledge that you have sustained an injury and are unable to play quidditch this year. We would love to fill your time and have you here with us to finish up the schooling you've missed.

Attached is a supply list for your 7th year should you accept our offer.

Please address your response to me personally no later than 1 August and I hope to see you in due time. Term starts 1 September.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress"

Immediately I took the parchment down the hall to my fathers office.

"Father?" I asked, knocking gently on the open door.

He looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. His green eyes were tired. "Yes, Hudson?"

"I got an owl." I told him simply. My father was hard to predict.

His name was Carmichael Orth and he was an infamous professor at Ilvermorny . For his first ten years he taught a basic potions class to first through third years. From his eleventh year onward he started teaching a high level defense against the dark arts class.

For all of my life we lived in Salem, Massachusetts so dark magic was an apparent theme throughout our town. My father was obsessed with all things dark magic from a very young age. He finished school at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry top of his class. He went on to be an auror for a few years before deciding that he'd rather teach dark magic than fight it.

He was a stern and prideful man. His soft side wasn't a side he showed often but when he did you knew he was serious. I couldn't count the number of times he told me he was proud of me, but I could count on one hand the number of times he told me he loved me.

"Oh? Who from?" He asked, looking back down at his parchment.

I took a deep breath before I spoke, "Minerva McGonagall"

He looked up with a shocked expression. "McGonagall? What does she want?" He asked

"She invited me personally to finish my studies this year while I'm on leave from Quidditch."

"Well... what are you thinking?" He was fully engaged in the conversation by this point. He sat his quill to the side and had his hands locked together on top of the desk.

I paused. What was I thinking? I hadn't had much time to think about it. "Well, on the pros list... it gives me something to do. I also get to finish school, which is something that I've wanted. I may get to play quidditch again for my house. I would study under some of the best professors in the world..." i paused for a second and sighed. "But on the flip side, I wouldn't be at Ilvermorny, which is my home. My friends are there. You're there. I'd be away from you guys for a while once you go back to the states. Plus, I'm already cleared by the ministry as passing my schooling. I don't technically need it."

He looked at me and I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking hard about this. "Hudson, love, let me tell you something. You going to Hogwarts would not affect your mother and I. We would be proud of you. We are proud of you. It sounds to me like we're the largest reason you don't want to go. But let me tell you... Minerva McGonagall is the smartest, most incredible witch I have ever met. You being under her care and protection makes sense to me. I think it sounds like an amazing opportunity. You've always loved school. You could learn so much more this year. Plus, this way you're still close to Ireland and your team. I say, if you want to go, go."

I paused for a moment and nodded. He was right. Headmistress McGonagall was written into history as one of the brightest witches and she was now in charge. Hogwarts had just gotten remodeled and completely renovated after the Battle of Hogwarts and it was like a new school. My father was right. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

"You're right. I'll go..." I said after a moment. "I'll send an owl to mother." I said, turning to walk back to my room.

I wrote:

"Mother,

Hello! I hope all is well in Belgium! Father and I sure do miss you. I have some good news to tell you. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall from Hogwarts has sent me a formal invitation to finish my last year there. I spoke with father and he thinks I should go. I think I'm going to. I think it might be good for me to get back to school and focus on something new for a while. Maybe I can play Quidditch for my house and get back in to the swing of things!

Anyways, I'll see you next week. Have a safe trip home.

All my love,

Hudson"

My mother, Matilda Orth, was a mediwizard so she was often traveling to different Quidditch matches and tournaments to work. At the moment she was at a regional tournament in Belgium.

Traveling with her at a young age is what founded my love for Quidditch. I'd watch her take care of the injured wizards and nurse them back to full health and it amazed me how strong, willing and capable they were. I wanted to be just like them.

She taught me how to fly and the rules of Quidditch before I could walk, seemingly. It was amazing that my first word wasn't "quidditch" or "snitch." (In case you're wondering it was "lumos" because I was always afraid of the dark and thought that I could conjure up some light. Spoiler alert, I couldn't.) My mom also taught me everything I needed to know about life, from boys to magic to how to not be an asshole. She was truly my best friend growing up.

Malice flew back in the open window when I called for her. She cooed and landed on my desk again. I gave her a treat and tied the letter to her ankle. I knew her trip would take multiple days there and back so I promised her extra treats when she got back. She cooed happily and flew back out, starting her journey.

I sat back on my bed and looked at the moving photos, newspaper clippings, and posters on my wall. The famous (and infamous now after the Battle of Hogwarts) witches and wizards I looked up to - Merlin, Newt Scamander, Salazar Slytherin, Morgan le Fay, Tonks, etc. In just a few short months I'd be where they studied. I'd be part of the narrative of post-war Hogwarts. I had never thought that I'd get to do that and be a part of a school so famous.

It was like I was entering a dream world.


	2. Two

I stepped onto the cobbled street of Diagon Alley like a kid in a candy store. Everything looked appealing and new. Sure, I'd been there before on trips, but I'd never gotten the full Hogwarts student shopping experience. And, sure, there were places closer to me in Ireland that I could've gone shopping for my supplies, but honestly, nothing beats Diagon Alley for Hogwarts shopping.

My father trailed behind me, arms crossed as he looked around carefully. He wasn't a fan of crowds, and since the area was more crowded than usual, he wasn't too happy about it. But, he never complained.

Our first stop was Flourish and Blotts to pick up some books. We stepped into the store and I instantly regretted our decision.

"Oh my god! You're Hudson Orth!"

"Hudson!"

"Oh my god, it's her!"

"The rumors are true!"

I took a step back as everyone in the store took a step towards me. I stumbled back into my dad's chest and he steadied me.

"Hello," I said softly, letting out a nervous laugh. I wasn't sure what to say when a whole store stopped what they were doing to stare at you. Sure, I'd had my fair share of "paparazzi" moments and fans. I got it all the time. What was different about this time, though, was that I almost forgot I was a famous athlete. I felt like just another normal witch getting her things for school.

"Hudson! Can I have your autograph?" A small boy, about six or seven, said, pulling gently on the hem of my shirt.

I smiled down at the young red-headed boy and kneeled down. He handed me a quill he grabbed off of the counter and held out a folded up postcard with my face on it. "I keep it with me all of the time!" He said, proudly. "You're my hero. I want to be just like you when I get older! I want to go to Ilvermorny, not Hogwarts, and be sorted into Thunderbird just like you! I want to play Quidditch and be famous!" He was so excited and it brought a huge smile to my face.

"That's so sweet!" I told him. "I love that. Thank you so much. What's your name?"

"Jacob!"

"Well, Jacob, you keep working hard and you can do whatever you want, okay?" I told him, signing the moving picture of me. 'To Jacob! Work hard and follow your dreams... see you on the pitch in a few years ;) Lots of love! Hudson Orth'

His face lit up as he watched me sign it. "Oh! Yes! Okay!" He said excitedly. "Thank you so much!" He squealed.

I hugged the small boy and saw the shutter of a camera going off across the store. I knew that the story of me being in Diagon Alley would be in the Daily Prophet the next day, but I didn't care. "Oh, and by the way, Hogwarts is a great school, too. Maybe one day you'll be in the same house as I'll be in this year." I told him quietly.

"You're going to Hogwarts?!" He asked, his eyes going wide.

"I sure am. I can't play Quidditch this year because I got hurt. So I'm going to go back to school."

He squealed and hugged me again. "That's so cool! Maybe you'll be a Hufflepuff! They're really cool!"

I finished up my conversation with Jacob and spoke to a few more people before grabbing the only book on the reading list for seventh year - _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven_ by Miranda Goshawk.

My father and I picked up a few more necessary items at a few more stores before we decided to head to Quality Quidditch Supplies. It was only natural that we'd want to go inside. I stepped inside and looked around. My father wandered over to the brooms and I just stood there. My heart ached and yearned for Quidditch. All I wanted was to be able to play again.

I walked to the back and saw the wall full of professional jerseys. I saw jerseys from my friends, my rivals, and my in-betweens. It was surreal to think that I was a part of something as special as professional Quidditch. It still baffled me. I grabbed a jersey with my last name printed on the back and I ran my fingers over it. It felt real. It felt like I was about to suit up and win Ireland a game. But I wasn't.

As I was about to put the jersey back on the rack, a body ran into me and I dropped it to the ground, my own body tumbling down after it.

"Oh! Shit! I'm sorry!" A voice said, reaching down to pick up the jersey. The boy turned it over in his hands and looked at the back. "Hudson Orth, eh?" He asked, reaching out to offer me a hand. "Did you hear that she-" he paused when his eyes landed on my face. I took his hand and he helped me up. "-is standing right in front of me."

I laughed and gave him a small smile. "Thank you," I laughed "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

I got a good look at the boy this time. He was taller than me (though it wasn't hard to be taller than me since I was five feet tall) with bright red hair and the prettiest brown eyes. He was thin and had a crooked smile. "The pleasure is all mine. I'm a huge fan." He offered me his hand. I took it, shaking it firmly.

"Are you going to tell me your name?"

"Oh. Right. I'm George. Hello."

I smiled at him. "George. It's nice to meet you."

"What brings you to Diagon Alley? A bit far from Ireland just for recreation, innit?" He asked, leaning against the wall nearest to us.

I nodded. "It is. But I skipped my last year at Ilverymorny to play Quidditch. So since I have to take a year off, I'm going to finish my last year at Hogwarts as per request of Headmistress McGonagall."

George smiled at me and it was truly adorable. "Amazing! Tell the woman George Weasley says hello whenever you see her! She loves me. Don't let her tell you anything differently."

"Will do," I said with a laugh. "What brings you to Diagon Alley?"

He paused for a second and smirked a bit. "I own a shop over here. It's called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It's like a joke shop. We've got everything you could think of."

"Weasleys'?" I asked. "So there are more of you?"

He paused and nodded. "Oh yeah. There are a ton of us. Seven to be exact."

"Amazing!" I laughed a bit. "I'll have to come by and check it out. Maybe later."

He smiled at me. "Please do. I'd love to see you again."

This was the first normal conversation I'd had with a boy in a long time. Most of the time it was guys trying to get me to sign their trading cards and take pictures with them and trying to sleep with me because I'm 'famous.' The conversation with George was... refreshing.

"I'd love to. It was so nice to meet you, George. I hope to see more of you." I said, giving him a smile as we parted ways.

My father an I got some more supplies for the school year before we decided to check out Knockturn Alley. We knew that ultimately, it wasn't the best idea, but it had fascinated me for years in the stories I heard. I wanted to check it out for myself. I knew that it was known for harvesting dark magic, dark wizards, and anything and everything 'bad.'

We kept our heads down as we entered, figuring it was best if I wasn't recognized as much around there. The last thing I wanted was someone getting ahold of me being there and accusing me of so much more than just being interested in the history of dark magic.

Entering Borgin & Burkes was somewhat of a dream to me. I had only heard of the insane things that were sold and presented there. Mr. Borgin was infamous for his _charming_ personality and the creepiest shop in London.

I looked around, taking every inch of creepy. I'd only heard stories of items in the shop. Necklaces and jewelry that belonged to dark wizards, cursed artifacts, and everything in between. It wasn't until I stood in that room that I realized that if I couldn't play Quidditch forever, I might consider a career in teaching a class on the dark arts or something of the sort. I had all kinds of useless knowledge in my head that was going to waste if I didn't share it.

"What's a goody-two-shoes Quidditch player like you doing in a place like this?" A cold, chilling voice asked from over my shoulder. I turned to see none other than Talia Drewer.

Talia Drewer was an older witch, about ten years older than my father, known for selling lies and gossip to The Daily Prophet to make a profit for herself and her nasty drug addictions. She was infamous. Stories were told about her. She was mentioned in travel brochures. She was like the ghost of Knockturn Alley - always there, wherever you go, wherever you turn.

"We're just looking." My father told her sternly.

My father stood next to me, a deep look on his face. He was a rather scary man when he was serious. He stood at about 6 feet tall, black hair like mine, and bright eyes. He was rather large. He worked out all of his life and prided himself in his muscles.

Talia took a step back and her eyes flicked back and forth between my father and me. She wanted to say something else to us, to me, but she didn't. She just nodded her head and turned around, a glint in her eyes.

"She's going to alert the daily prophet that I was here," I told him.

"I'll write to them. They won't publish it." That was all he said before he led me out of the shop and back to Diagon Alley.

We returned to Diagon Alley and my father excused himself to go 'handle something' and left me alone. I kept my head down for the most part and walked up and down the strip, window shopping. It was nice to feel like a normal kid again. I hadn't shopped for school in two years, so the feeling of normality was foreign. For the most recent part of my life, I was so used to being in a stadium, playing. I did interviews with news outlets, held signings with my team, and everything else that wasn't normal - not to a kid. It was like my life at Ilverymorny was a million years ago, not only two.

I found myself in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and followed a small kid inside. I looked around and was baffled by how insane the place was. I had never been inside anything like it. People were everywhere - running, screaming, laughing. It was like an amusement park inside a store.

I saw a small boy eat something that turned his hair purple and his mother screamed in surprise when he rounded the corner. Another girl exploded a stink bomb of some sort that changed smells when she spoke about a different food. A mother was rambling to her husband about a good birthday gift to get their prankster son.

"Hudson!"

I turned to see George come around the counter over to me. "Hi, George! Nice to see you again,"

"Likewise!" He greeted, smiling at me. He opened his arms as if to gesture to the whole store. "What do you think?"

I paused and looked around. What did I think? "This place is... incredible. It's like a whole new world."

"Aw, I dunno if I'd go that far-"

"Yes, you would!" A voice interrupted George. Another red-head appeared next to him, slinging his arm over George's shoulder. I assume they were brothers. They looked similar.

"Shut up, Ronald." George sighed. "As I was saying. I dunno if I'd go as far as to say it's a new world. It's just a new experience."

"Oh please. You act like this place is a brand new kingdom to be discovered." The other red-head, Ronald, said.

"Hudson, this is my twat of a younger brother, Ron. Ron, this is Hudson." George introduced us.

I held out my hand to the other Weasley. "Hello! Pleasure."

He shook my hand and smiled. "Likewise, Hudson. You look really familiar. Have we met?"

I shook my head a bit and laughed. "I get that a lot. But no, we haven-"

"Oh! You're the seeker for Ireland! Bloody hell, how could I have not realized?! Hudson Orth!"

With a small laugh and shrugged. "Photos and the big screen make me look a lot taller, I don't blame you."

He shook his head at me. "I can't believe it! What are you doing here?"

George looked from Ron to me and back again, smiling a bit. "I'm grabbing some things for school, actually. Minerva McGonagall invited me to finish up the year of school I missed at Hogwarts this year."

"That's amazing! I'll be returning this year, as well. I'll finish my last year since... well... you know." Ron said, his smile faltering a bit but not leaving his face.

I stayed and talked to Ron and George for a while longer, discussing the upcoming year and what Hogwarts might be like once reopened. I was promised a seat in Ron's carriage on the train and I was beginning to feel a little more sound in my decision to attend. For the first time since I received the owl, I was completely prepared for Hogwarts.


	3. Three

Parting ways with my parents on September first was difficult for me. They'd be going back to the states soon, my father to prepare for another year at Ilvermorny and my mother to take a well-deserved break from work for a while. I was used to being away from them for months at a time, but something about this felt different. It was different. I'd be at a different school with different people completely. I couldn't run to see father between classes or return home on weekends to see mother. It would be December before I saw them again.

"We are so proud of you, Hudson Luella." My mother mumbled into my ear, her arms wrapping around me tightly. We stood in front of the Hogwarts express, around hundreds of students hugging their families goodbye. My things were loaded on a cart behind me and I wasn't ready to admit how nervous I actually was.

"Thank you." Is all I could say. I couldn't conjure up the words to speak anything but that.

Next, my father took her spot and gave me a quick hug. He told me the same thing my mother did, that he was proud of me. He helped me load my things onto the train and before I knew it, my parents were telling me goodbye. They were busy people. I was glad that they even found the time to come to the train with me.

"I love you guys," I told them, waving as they apparated out of Platform 9 3/4. I was left alone, standing in a huge crowd of people until it was time to board.

For once I was glad that I was blending in. My mother helped me pick out an outfit that people would hopefully not recognize me in. I had a black beanie on my head, covering most of my short black hair. I had an oversized grey sweater on with a pair of denim jeans. My shoes were white converse. My mother said I looked like a normal kid. Then she cried.

I started to wander through the crowds of people, biding my time. I didn't know what else to do.

A few moments later I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and spun around, being greeted face-to-face with George Weasley. George and I had kept in touch for the remainder of the summer since we met. We would send owls every day. We were certain that between Malice, Errol, Pig (and occasionally Hermes when Percy didn't have a stick up his ass) there was a lot of tension by the end of the summer when it came to delivering letters. We were sure they hated us.

"George!" I said, opening my arms and throwing them around his neck. He hugged me back and lifted me off of the ground, spinning me around.

I laughed as he sat me down. "Hello, Hudson! How are you?" He looked more awake today than the last time I saw him. His brown eyes were bright and he looked happy. His hair had grown out a little more in the last few months and he almost looked like a different person.

"I'm well! How are you?"

He just nodded for a second. "I'm doing great today, actually. Thank you." He said, grabbing my hand. "Come on, I want you to meet my family! Well, the ones that bothered to show up today." He added with a laugh.

Over the summer I had learned so much about George and his family. It was like I already knew them, and clearly, they felt the same.

"Mum, guys, this-"

"Oh, Hudson, dear!" Molly Weasley exclaimed, stepping forward and throwing her arms around me. "It's so lovely to meet you, sweetheart! Georgey here hasn't stopped talking about you all summer. It's nice to finally meet." She gushed, taking a step back and holding me out at arms length.

Molly already gave off the most wonderful vibes. Just from the way she looked at me, I could tell she was an incredible mother with an incredible mind. She was beautiful but tired but so fully aware of everything. It made me miss my own mother already.

I smiled widely at the woman and took a small breath to keep from blushing. "The feeling is definitely mutual, Mrs. Weasley!"

"Oh, honey, call me Molly! And please, love, if you never need anything you let me know, okay?"

I thanked her and hugged her again. "Thank you, Molly," I told her.

George stepped up to us and smiled at his mother. "Hudson, as I was saying, this is my mother." He gently turned me a bit to show the rest of his family waiting and chatting amongst themselves. "You know Ron. This is my younger sister Ginny. She'll also be at Hogwarts this year. Sixth year." He told me, "My father, Arthur."

I took a moment to greet the Weasley's I had just met. I hugged Ginny and she told me we'd definitely have to hang out this year and chat about Quidditch.

Arthur gave me a hug and told me he was so excited to meet me and that he was a big fan. There was a look in his eye that told me there was a lot more to his excitement to meet me than just him being a fan.

"Hudson." He whispered in my ear as he hugged me. "Thank you for giving him something else to think about."

He pulled back and held me at arms length just as Molly had moments before. I paused and looked at him quizzically. I didn't question it though. "Absolutely. He's done the same for me."

I took a few moments to catch up with George, seeing as I wouldn't see him again for a while. I'd be able to write to him, sure, but seeing his beautiful eyes in person was an experience I wanted every day. I was definitely quite fond of George at this point and I didn't know what to think of how quickly it came.

"Maybe you can come visit the burrow during holidays this year for a few days. We'd love to have you." George said to me, leaning against the brick pillar next to him.

"I'd love that," I told him honestly. "Your family is great. I adore them already."

He nodded and smiled happily at me. "I'm sure you'll all get on at Hogwarts this year. Ron can introduce you to the two friends he has and Ginny can introduce you to everyone else." He laughed. God, there was nothing like his laugh. That was something I couldn't get over a letter. "They adore you too. As do I." He said, his smile growing a bit.

The train horn sounded and we knew that it was time to board. I was kind of sad to be leaving George after what felt like no time at all but was really probably about twenty minutes. Mostly, though, I was excited to start a new journey and a new chapter of my life.

George glanced at the train and to his family and then back to me. He opened his arms for a hug and I graciously accepted, laying my head on his chest as I hugged him around the waist.

I pulled back a bit and looked up at him. "You'll write to me, yeah?" He asked me, smiling his crooked smile.

"Of course, as long as you write back," I told him.

"I will, absolutely. I look forward to it. I'll see you in December, hopefully?"

"I already can't wait." I nodded and then he did something that kind of took me by surprise. He moved his right hand to my cheek and leaned down to kiss me. His lips were soft and gentle. It was a quick kiss but it felt like a lifetime. I think I may have wanted it to last a lifetime.

He pulled back and took my hand in his. "Enjoy your year. I'll see you."

I gave his hand a squeeze and nodded. "I'll see you."

I walked to the train with the two youngest Weasley's as they chatted away at what it was going to be like being back at Hogwarts. As promised, Ron let me have a seat in the same carriage as him. Ginny said goodbye as she walked over to sit with some friends. I sat across from Ron in the last carriage.

"My best friend Harry and my girlfriend, Hermione should be coming around any moment now. I didn't see them on the platform but they'll find us. They're both really stoked to meet you." Ron told me as we waited.

As he predicted, a few moments later the carriage door opened and in popped the head of a girl with dark hair. Her face lit up when she saw Ron and she opened the door to come in all of the way.

"Hello!" She greeted, taking a seat next to Ron. Ron smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"Mione!" He said excitedly. "This is Hudson Orth!" He said, gesturing to me.

The girl turned to me and her smile grew larger. She put out her hand to me and smiled. "Hi! A pleasure to meet you. Ron and George have told me so much about you, I feel like I already know you!" She gushed.

I shook her hand and laughed a bit. "All good things, I hope," I said. "But, likewise. I've heard some amazing stories about you."

Our conversation was interrupted when the door opened again and in popped another head. This head looked tired, but I immediately knew who he was. It was Harry Potter. It was hard to mistake him. He smiled at his friends and smiled at me, walking inside. He sat next to me and offered me his hand as Hermione did.

"Hudson Orth. Hello. I'm a huge fan."

"And I'm a huge fan of yours as well, Harry," I said, taking his hand.

The four of us fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments as the train started moving. Ron waved at his family out of the window. Harry and Hermione did the same. I caught George's eye and we smiled, waving a bit. I couldn't shake the feelings he made me feel.

"So tell me, Hudson," Hermione said a few minutes after we left the station "What's the deal with you and George?"

My eyes widened a bit and I looked at her in shock. "I'm sorry, what?" I asked her quietly.

She smiled. "Trust me, everyone sees it. George talks about you all of the time-"

"Not to mention the whole station saw the two of you kiss. Don't act like that was in private!" Ron chimed in, giving me a knowing look.

I laughed and shook my head. "Quit!" I laughed a bit. "We're just friends, right now. We've only been talking over the summer. It's nothing serious. He was just saying goodbye."

"He wouldn't have invited you to spend break at the burrow if he thought you were just friends or didn't have the potential to be more," Harry said, nudging me a bit.

"Oh my goodness, the three of you should chill!" I said with a laugh. "How do you even know that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "All summer it was, 'mum? Do you think it would be okay if I invited Hudson for holiday? Nah, nevermind. She'd say no.' 'maybe I should just do it' 'Dad, do you think she'd say yes?' 'Mione, if I invite Hudson for break what should I get her as a present?'"

Ron laughed and nodded. "He was asking about what to get you for Christmas in the middle of summer!"

"Okay! Okay..." I said, waving them off. "No more! Drop it!" I added with a laugh. "We'll... we'll just see where it goes. We'll see what happens." I told them.

Luckily that seemed to silence them for a while. It was nice to feel like I had friends. I could tell that this was genuine - that they were good people and that they'd be people that I could hang out with, study with, and all around enjoy my time at Hogwarts with. They treated me like a normal person, not like a celebrity. They didn't care that I was Hudson Orth, professional Quidditch player, or that Harry was Harry Potter, the boy that lived, died, lived again, and did a whole lot of other noteworthy shit. We were just people. All of us.

After a while, I decided to ask Ron about what Arthur had said to me earlier. I couldn't shake the conversation. It was replaying in my mind.

"Ron... Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "Earlier, when I hugged your father... he thanked me for giving George something else to think about... What did he mean?" I asked him slowly.

I felt like I was missing something. I felt like there was something I should have known that everyone else knew. I felt out of the loop.

I was right.

Ron paused and looked at me, frowning. Hermione looked down at her lap and Harry looked out the window of the train like he wanted to avoid the whole situation. "Months of talking to George nonstop and he... didn't tell you?"

I frowned a bit and shook my head. Ron teared up a bit but blinked a few times, shaking his head. "Uh... George is a twin." He started quietly. Hermione held his hand.

"I know that," I told him, nodding a bit.

Ron sighed and looked down. Harry filled me in, instead. "Fred... he passed away. He died at the Battle of Hogwarts."

My heart broke at the words and I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe he hadn't said anything. Though I didn't blame him. I wouldn't have wanted to relive that moment again, either. I made a mental note to send him an owl at my next convenience.

I reached across the carriage and gave Ron's other hand a squeeze. I knew it wasn't just hard on George. Ron lost a brother, too. He gave me a sad smile and I mumbled an 'I'm sorry' before we all sat back in silence.


	4. Four

The trio and I were waist-high in chocolate wrappers and food as we neared the end of our journey. The mood had lightened tremendously when they came around offering us treats and snacks. We all bought almost half of the cart.

"Ooooh! Hudson you're gonna have to be sorted!" Harry said, breaking the silence after a while. I looked at him and frowned.

"I'm going to have to be in a group of eleven-year-olds all night?"

They all laughed at me and I sighed dramatically. "Where do you think you'll be sorted?" Ron asked

I thought for a moment. Most of my summer I did research on Hogwarts and the houses, trying to predict which one I'd end up in.

"I'm thinking I'll probably be Slytherin," I told them, shrugging. "My father says that one of my biggest personality traits is how I'm very achievement-oriented. If I set my mind to something I'm going to get there one way or another. I'm very thoughtful. I think of every situation and every outcome before I act. My drive to do things to get me where I want to be is kind of overpowering sometimes."

"Okay, so we know for a fact that you're definitely not a Hufflepuff," Hermione said, a laugh at the end of her sentence. "Patience doesn't seem like your thing."

"Not at all."

"You could potentially be a Ravenclaw." Ron chimed in. "Hard work is a Ravenclaw thing."

"But do you value learning?" Hermione asked me

"I do. I was top of my class at Ilverymorny."

Harry shook his head. "No, no. Because you skipped your last year to play Quidditch you won't be a Ravenclaw. I'm calling Slytherin or Gryffindor." He said "Slytherin because you're ambitious. You're very set on yourself, your future, your outcomes. That's not a bad thing. But you'll do anything to get there, which puts you in the same mindset as Slytherin."

I nodded a bit and couldn't help but laugh. "I think you're right," I told him. "Will you guys still be friends with me when I get sorted into Slytherin?"

"Of course," Hermione said, offering me a huge smile.

As the train reached its final destination I was sent off with the first years to the boats. I felt odd, being the oldest among the large group of students. I spoke to a few of them but as I crossed the lake but mostly I kept to myself.

Students started to slowly recognize me as we boarded the boats. They were asking me questions, asking me to sit with them if we got sorted into the same house, asking me to sign something later. Usually, I was okay with that, but tonight it just made me anxious.

I wasn't normally an anxious person, but in this situation, I was feeling the effects quite heavily. The sky was dark and stormy. It was about to rain and I felt like it was a sign, though I didn't know what for. I felt claustrophobic almost, being surrounded by kids yelling and talking loudly and asking me questions I didn't want to answer.

We climbed off of the boats and made our way into a grand hallway. We were met by Headmistress McGonagall with a smile on her face. She greeted us and explained how the sorting ceremony was going to work and what was expected of us - mostly the first years.

A few moments into her speech she made eye contact with me, giving me a sly smile. "I'm very happy to have you all here with us tonight. Please, let the ceremony begin."

We were escorted to where we'd wait for the ceremony to begin.

McGonagall herself addressed the whole school. "Students! Welcome back to the Hogwarts grand reopening. As you know, we have lost many, many people we all hold very dearly in our hearts. We've lost students who should be here with us right now, alumni who we wish could see this moment, teachers, friends, family, and loved ones. But we, as a school, as a unit, are far stronger than we have ever been.

"This year, students, will be one of trial. We must continue with our lives and welcome the changes while remembering the past. We must never let those we lost be forgotten but always work towards making them proud. Make sure that they stay close to us in spirit. Forever in our lives.

"This year is going to be a good year for us all. We welcome back all students who didn't finish their most recent year, and we welcome the group of new students to my left that are about to become part of our family.

With that, we begin our sorting ceremony."

The sorting hat was placed on a stool in the center of the stage and it began to sing its song.

The song was beautiful, paying tribute to those who were lost in the battle, Tonks, Remus Lupin, students like Fred Weasley and a kid named Colin. It highlighted the beautiful traits of each house, making me even more excited to be a part of one of them soon.

When it was finished McGonagall stepped to the front of the stage again. "We will begin with Anderson, Moria!"

The first year stumbled up the steps and took a seat on the stool, an excited glint in her eye. Before the hat was even completely on her head it shouted, "Ravenclaw!"

The Ravenclaw table emerged from their seats, shouting and cheering for Moria.

I waited until all of the first year students had been called and sorted before it was my turn.

McGonagall smiled at me and looked back to the students before her.

"We have one last student to sort tonight. The rumors you've all heard are true. Hudson Orth, the seeker for the Ireland National Team is attending Hogwarts this year to finish up her schooling while she is on leave. Now, in true Hogwarts fashion, she must be sorted as the rest of you all have been. So, Miss Orth, if you would, please..."

I hesitantly walked up the steps and towards the stool. All eyes were on me, but I felt vulnerable. This was new to me. Usually, when all eyes were on me I was in my element. This, however, was terrifying. The hat was placed upon my head and I let out an audible breath.

"Hmmmm... very, very interesting." The hat spoke quietly. "You think you're a Slytherin, do you?" I paused but nodded slightly. The hat laughed at me. "Potentially. I see that. I do. I see that you were a Thunderbird at Ilvermorny, yes?" I nodded again. "The soul. The seeking of a soul. The bringer of storms. A house that favors adventure. You're quite adventurous, yes. That was a good choice. I also see that you're one of two people in history that have had two Ilvermorny statues choose you. And you went with Thunderbird over Pukwudgie - - the house of the heart. The healers. So you're brave. You have a strong heart. A strong soul. And you chose your soul."

"I chose the house that felt the most like what I wanted out of life," I told the hat.

"You wanted your soul to be the driving force of your life." I nodded again. The hat was good. He dug deep. "You felt like your soul would lead you in the right direction and that your heart might get mixed up with your mind.." He paused for a few moments. "Did you know that this makes you one of three people who has ever made me think twice about where I was going to put them? One being the one and only Minerva McGonagall, the other being a man named Peter Pettigrew. I'm sure you've heard the name..."

"Why?"

The hat hummed for a moment. "Because, like the Ilvermorny statues, I see that you are a complex character. You have the ambition, the drive, the willpower of a Slytherin. You'd fit right in, truly. I thought for a second that you might be a Ravenclaw, but I realized that while you value learning, it's not what drives you. Which brings me to why I'm considering Gryffindor as well. You have the force, the bravery and the mind of a Gryffindor. You have the ability to excel in each house."

The hat paused for a few more seconds before I heard him sigh. "Hudson Orth... Welcome to..."

I held my breath, closing my eyes tightly. I was nervous to see where he put me.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

My eyes shot open and my mouth fell open. Never in a million years did I imagine I would wind up in Gryffindor. I figured I'd have ended up in Ravenclaw before Gryffindor. But I didn't question it. I was snapped back into reality when the Gryffindor table erupted in screams louder than I had heard all night. I went to the table and was greeted by so many hugs from people I'd never seen and people addressing me by name, acting like they'd known me for years.

I found an empty set next to Hermione and she quickly hugged me. "Welcome! I wasn't expecting that, but I'm glad you're here!"

Ginny sat across from Hermione and Ron with Harry at her side. "Hudson!" She greeted me. "Congratulations!" I thanked her and she pointed to the boy next to her. "Meet Neville! You'll love him. We all love him!"

Neville looked at me and he didn't say anything for a moment. "During the whole ceremony I was thinking about what I'd say to you when I finally met you, but I wasn't expecting it to be so soon, so I'm not prepared. Hi." He said with a nervous laugh, offering me his hand. I took it and smiled brightly at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet the biggest hero in the room," I told him. "If either of us should be at a loss for words, it should be me."

We all spent the rest of the night feasting on the food that wouldn't stop appearing. I felt at home, with people that I could be friends with forever. I felt like I was finally at a place that I belonged to and where I could thrive.


	5. Five

The first day of classes was a blur to me.

I woke up to everyone talking about me. All of the Gryffindor girls were sitting around the dorm rooms chatting about my career, my highlights, my low points. It was an odd sensation to wake up to the words "I think Hudson was dating Viktor Krum at one point, which is weird since they're supposed to be rivals!"

The only girls I didn't see were Ginny and Hermione. I got up and changed into my robes, excusing myself to the common room as they all stared at me. Ginny and Harry were sitting together on the couch, discussing a book and Ron was napping in an armchair. Hermione, as I had noticed, favored a window seat with a book perched on her lap.

I took a seat with Harry and Ginny. "Morning!" Ginny said happily.

"Mornin'." I mumbled, sighing and laying my head back on the back of the couch.

"Alright?" Ginny asked, turning towards me.

"Sort of. I woke up to every girl in the dorm staring at me and talking about me. So that was interesting. And every time I walked out of the common room the last few days, I was asked to sign a photo or take a photo or teach someone how to 'be perfect like me.'" I said, doing air quotes around the last part of my sentence.

Ginny giggled a bit and then frowned. "Sorry, sorry."

"No, don't be," I said, waving it off. "It happens. I'm used to it, really. At least, I should be."

"Well, on the bright side, we start classes this morning so you'll have something new to focus on," Harry said, chiming in for the first time.

"You're right," Is all I said, running my hand over my face. "I'm ready for something to distract me."

About an hour later, I found myself walking with Neville and Hermione to a Muggle Studies class first thing in the morning. (Luckily it was one of my only classes of the day) Ron and Harry had left us early for whatever reason.

Growing up in Salem, Massachusetts, I was around muggle culture more often than expected. My family was pretty merged with muggles. My parents wanted me to get the most out of my youth and learn as much as possible about every part of the world. I had muggle friends growing up and until age 11 I was enrolled in a muggle elementary school, unlike most witches and wizards that I knew. My father always said that a well-rounded education was the best education.

Hermione and I sat together while Neville bid us farewell and went to sit with some other friends. As we sat down, a Hufflepuff girl approached me with a wide smile. She asked for an autograph and asked to sit with us. We said yes, but the whole class she spoke, asking questions and practically demanding very personal answers. She asked about my love life, or if I had dated Viktor Krum, what happened to me to cause me to become injured, and many other things that I didn't feel comfortable answering - especially to someone that I didn't know.

Professor Gumble, the new Muggle Studies professor didn't help my already growing issue. She was a petite woman with bright eyes and a bushy tail. She began class by explaining what we were going to cover over the course of the year in that class. She got through about half of her first lecture before she looked at me and stopped.

She was perky and overly excited to be teaching such a boring class. "Oh! Miss Orth!" She gushed excitedly. "How lovely it is to have you in class with us today!" She gushed. Then, all eyes were on me. People stared and looked and whispered. Great.

Hermione gave me a small, reassuring smile. I gave Professor Gumble a polite smile. "Hello!" I greeted. "Thank you. I'm happy to be here."

She smiled excitedly. "Oh! I'm so excited to teach you! How are you? How's your back? Your legs?"

I laughed nervously and smiled again. "I'm fine. I'm getting better. Stronger each day. Thanks." I said, looking down in hopes to divert the conversation so we could get back to class. Everyone was still staring at me and I was anxious as all hell. I don't know why I didn't expect this, though.

I finally managed to get through the class. I even managed to get through it without Gumble bringing up my personal life again, which was a win in itself.

Hermione and I walked out of the classroom and I was immediately swarmed with younger students trying to talk to me and get my attention. I ended up signing a few photos and postcards, even taking some photos with a young Hufflepuff.

As I managed to slide through the crowd, I found myself alone. I'd lost Hermione and I didn't want to try to go back in and find her. So I left. I wandered outside in hopes of finding somewhere quiet where I could be alone.

In the distance, I saw the lake. I'd heard so many stories about the lake that I felt extremely drawn to it once I saw it. I put my hood up, trying to keep people from recognizing me as I walked to the lake.

As I approached the bank I noticed another figure sitting there, robe on the ground, tie loosened, and eyes closed. The boy was blonde. A Slytherin. I debated for a moment whether to sit near him or keep walking until I found my own spot of land.

"What are you waiting for? A formal invitation?" The boy grumbled.

I paused for a second and hesitantly took a seat a few feet away from him. I looked at him, his eyes were still closed and a look of pure exhaustion riddled his features.

"I never thought I'd see the day when someone else at this school was more popular than Potter." He said, finally opening his eyes to look at me.

I raised an eyebrow and laughed a bit. "You're right. Neville sure is taking the school by storm, isn't he?" He looked at me with a straight face, no hint of amusement anywhere on his face. "Tough crowd," I mumbled. "I'm Hudson." I offered him my hand. He didn't take it.

He sighed and rolled his eyes at me. "There's a reason your job isn't something where you have to speak."

I raised an eyebrow at him and scoffed. "Oi, what's your deal, blondie?" I asked him

He paused and looked at me, sighing. "I'm tired of things feeling different but not being different." He said simply.

I thought about that for a moment. I had to remember that everyone here had been affected by the recent events in ways that I couldn't imagine or comprehend. "In what way?"

He looked at me and sighed. "Do you not know who I am?" He asked me with a slightly irritated tone.

"Do you think if I knew who you were I'd be asking what you meant?" He shook his head. "Okay. Then, obviously, I don't know who you are."

He chuckled a bit. "You haven't heard of the fucked up blonde kid that almost killed a man and was forced to take the dark mark and had death eater parents and is a waste of space?"

"Ooooooh." I stated. "You're _that_ waste of space! Sorry, I get you all confused." I said sarcastically. He looked at me and frowned, but I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. "No, seriously. I don't listen to bullshit gossip. I'm a facts only kind of person. Who are you?"

He took a second to collect his thoughts before he spoke again. "I'm Draco Malfoy." He said, finally offering me his hand. I took it. He was right. I had heard of him, but I never would've guessed that's who he was by his descriptin of himself. I thought that, maybe, he seemed to be a bit too hard on himself.

"My parents were death eaters. Long story short, my family was a huge supporter of Voldemort. I wasn't. But if I ever said that or even acted like I wasn't, I would've been killed on the spot, no questions asked. I was forced to take the dark mark. During the war, I did what I had to do to survive but also did what I could to help Potter and his friends live.

"And now, even after the war, everything feels different. I feel like a different person, I feel like everything is different but it's not. I'm still alone. Just because my parents are in Azkaban now doesn't mean I'm getting any less attention than I was before. I never got any to begin with. My 'friends' don't know what to say to me. They act differently. People are scared of me. They've always been scared of me but this time it's because they think I'll hex them or kill them if they look at me the wrong way. It's like the roles are the same but the reasoning is different.

"I really don't know why I'm telling you this. I don't know you."

I listened to him speak, taking in every single word he said. I hadn't thought about the fact that not everyone was being reflected positively right now. There weren't just heroes. There were people on opposite sides.

"Sometimes that helps," I told him. "I don't know you. I can't judge you on my opinion of you. Or anyone else's. I don't know theirs. I don't have one of you. I can only tell you what I think of what you're saying." I said quietly. "Do you want my thoughts?"

He looked at me and nodded. "Sure. Why not? Can't hurt."

"Similarly, I'm going through a huge life change. I don't know how well you know me. Well, know of me. But I just got injured pretty recently. A few months ago actually. I got into a duel. A selfish duel. Got paralyzed from the waist down. I can't play Quidditch for a while. I'm still healing. I'm lucky to be able to walk, clearly you can tell from the major limp I have right now." I started out.

"But everything feels different. My whole life feels odd and like I've put it all on hold. But everything feels the same. It's like nothing's changed. But I've changed. And what's frustrating to me is that I'm not the same person I used to be, for so many reasons, but everyone expects me to be and thinks that I am. And no matter how many times I try to express that I'm not, they still want me to be. It's like it won't be acceptable if I'm not."

He looked like he was thinking pretty hard as he nodded. "That makes a lot of sense, I think. I think some people can't believe that I'm here this year and they think I'm going to try to kill them all."

I nodded. "People don't allow people to change. I feel like this might be what you're going through. People think you're still who you were before the war. You're not. But they expect you to be and any sort of deviation from that is wrong to them. They want you to bare the dark mark and have horrible parents and punch kids in the face and be a bully. Right? Because that's all they know from you. They don't want to let you grow and be different because that would mean they would have to relearn who you are and that's too much work for them. So I think that this isn't an us problem. It's a then problem."

The two of us sat in silence for a few minutes. I think that everything I said was swimming around in Draco's head and he was taking it all in. His eyes fell back on the lake and his hands absentmindedly pulled at some blades of grass.

After a few minutes, he spoke again. "I think that helped quite a lot." He told me, glancing back over and sighing a bit.

"I'm glad. I truly hope you do get it figured out." I told him. That was the truth. I did hope that everything worked out for him. Nobody deserved to be put in a box and not be given the opportunity to get out of it.

He smiled at me, and for some reason, I knew that he didn't do that often. It looked almost forced, but I could tell that it wasn't. It was just a foreign thing for him. It almost hurt my heart a little bit.

I could tell that there was a lot going on underneath the surface of this kid, that he wasn't truly as horrible as everyone thought he may be. Sure, he seemed like a snarky douche at first, but if you ask the right questions you get the meet the real him. I could tell that he was my kind of person. '

"Hudson..." He started, glancing back over to me. "Thank you."


	6. Six

It was Friday afternoon during the first week of classes. The rest of the week had flown by incredibly quickly. Hogwarts was everything I had ever envisioned it to be, and I could say that I was truly happy there. It was the right choice.

I was sitting in the common room on the couch with Neville. He was reading a book on house-elves and I had my Divination book sprawled across my lap. Neville and I had started a silent club of sorts. Every day after classes the two of us would sit next to each other on the couches in the common room and just study. We'd discuss questions we had periodically but it was mostly silence.

Ginny came bounding into the common room an hour or so into our studying carrying a pack of letters.

"I come bearing mail!" She said, tossing the pack on the table. She began grabbing from the bag.

This year McGonagall had decided that when it came to delivering letters, owls would have to deliver to a specific slot in the owlery that was later delivered to each common room. She had said something about 'too many droppings in the morning feasts.'

Ginny passed out letters to Harry, Ron, two to Neville and a bunch to some younger students before she finally got to me. She handed me a stack of three things.

The one on top was sealed with the crest of my family. I was beyond excited to hear from my parents and see how their first weeks were going.

"Hudson,

Hello, baby! How is your first week going? I can't believe you're finally back in action after so long. We're so excited to hear back from you. We miss you already.

Your father started teaching again and he says that this year's classes seem to be more calm than usual. Weird, right? He says that he misses you.

I'm taking a break for a bit and I'm going to start writing again. I go to Mexico in three weeks to work a tournament. Other than that my life is pretty simple.

Well, I love you. Hope to hear back soon!

Mom"

I smiled and tucked my mom's letter under my leg before looking back at what else I had. The second letter made my heart happy.

"Hudson Lu!

I miss your beautiful face. Hello. I hope Hogwarts is treating you incredibly. It's definitely a place to get used to but I think you'll fit right in. You probably already are, aren't ya?

Fill me in on everything! How's Harry coping? Are Ron and Ginny being good to you? How are classes? Favorite professors thus far?

Man, I wish I could see you before holiday.

Talk to you soon.

Love,

George Weasley"

I smiled to myself and reread the letter a few times. I couldn't shake the fact that George made me feel something incredibly new. It was a feeling I didn't get with anyone else and didn't think could be replicated.

"Seriously?" I heard Ginny from over my shoulder. I jumped a bit, looking back at her and laying the letter down on my lap.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "He can write you but can't write his own sister." She laughed afterward, moving to sit next to me on the couch. "Did you-"

"Hudson!" It was Hermione from across the room. She was looking up from her copy of the Daily Prophet, her eyes wide. "Have you seen the front page of the Prophet? Sorry to interrupt, Ginny, but this is important."

I raised an eyebrow and sat George's letter down with my parents'. I pulled out the third thing I got in the mail - my subscription to the Daily Prophet.

"Oh my god," I mumbled, my eyes scanning over the page.

At the top of the page, the headline read, "Quidditch Superstar Hudson Orth Spends Time Off with New Boyfriend" (?)

The photo underneath the headline was George and I kissing at the station. The moving photo showed the two of us pulling back and smiling at each other.

I gasped, quickly reading the article out loud for those who were sitting near me.

"Hudson Orth, the youngest pro Quidditch player in the world, was seen locking lips with none other than George Weasley - the owner of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley.

Orth sustained a life-threatening injury this past December that put her Quidditch career with the Ireland National Team on hold. This was due to an unfortunate attack from an old teammate of hers, sources say. Orth was paralyzed from the waist down for nearly six months. With the help of the best wizard and muggle doctors in the country working to help her, she was walking again in less than six months. During her time off from Quidditch, she is currently finishing up her schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hudson Orth was spotted outside of the Hogwarts Express with the Weasley family. Sources say she finally met and formally introduce herself to the family of the boy she's dating. Sources aren't sure how long the couple has been together, but it is estimated to have begun about three months ago near the beginning of the summer holidays.

This is the first confirmed public outing of the couple. We have reached out to both parties but have not received word from either.

We wish the best to the happy couple!

-Timothy Greenreef"

My mouth was agape at the end of the short article.

"Oh my god." Is all I could say. Ginny had been reading it at the same time as I was. She looked at me and the look on her face was nearly the same as mine.

"Wait," Neville said, looking at us. "Disregarding the George thing, did it say you were attacked? I thought you told us that it was a duel."

"It was," I told him. "I absolutely was not attacked. I- Actually, I don't really want to get into that right now." I told him.

He nodded simply. "I understand. You don't have to, Hud."

Harry was sitting on the coffee table, looking at me with a confused expression. "How did this guy get all of this information on you, though?" He asked

I shook my head. "I- I don't know. I didn't tell anyone except for you guys about what was going on with George and me."

"But the thing is, it's not even true," Ron said, finally interjecting. "You guys aren't even official. And you only met at the beginning of summer, so you can't have been dating since then."

"So someone is filling the Prophet's head with lies about you," Hermione said, frowning a bit.

We all sat there for a moment, letting the article sink in. I could tell that everyone was trying to figure out what was going on and where the news from the Prophet came from.

Thankfully, the news wasn't too large of an issue. It was just a boyfriend rumor which wasn't something I was too concerned about. The only thing I was concerned about was how George and his family would be affected by the article. Hopefully, they would brush it off and not be bothered by such a claim.

The only part of the news that was slightly irksome was the claim of an attack being the cause of my injury. Whoever was filling the Prophet's heads seemed to at least know a little bit about my life.

"Excuse me," I said, standing up. I took the letters and the paper to my bed, throwing them on the end. I grabbed a few pieces of parchment, a quill, and some ink. I threw on my shoes and my robes, heading out of the common room and onto the grounds. The sun was still bright in the sky as I walked across the lawn towards the lake.

I had decided that the best place for me the clear my head was a place that not many people were around. I wasn't ready to hear people ask me about George and about my injury - something that hadn't been printed in the paper in months. I had thought that the Prophet was finally over it.

I found a spot on the south side of the lake and sat down.

I didn't know where to begin.

I started with my parents.

"Mom and Dad,

I'm sure you've read the Prophet. (I know that you still get your subscription sent to the US. Don't play dumb)

I promise I'm not dating George. Not that it matters. I do like him, but we're only friends at the moment. He's a great guy. I wouldn't mind dating him. Actually, he invited me to come and see him and his family on holiday. I'll still come home and see you guys, of course, but I'd like to see him. I really think you guys would like him. He's a sweetheart.

But on the negative side, the Prophet is saying I was attacked by an ex-teammate and that's why I was paralyzed. Clearly, you both know that wasn't true. I don't know what kind of backlash may come of this, but I hope we can figure it out if something happens. I hope it doesn't.

I love you guys. Apart from this my week has been pretty wonderful. Classes are going exceptionally well! I'm having a great time.

I love you,

Hudson"

After a few moments of thinking about what I wanted to say to George, I composed a letter.

"George,

Hello, boyfriend. How's it going?

I think that our mystery source forgot to tell us something before they told the DP, don't you think? Goodness, I don't even know where to begin.

I hope you're not too upset about this. As I mentioned in a few letters over the summer, the media tends to play with me when they're bored. It's like because I'm an eighteen-year-old girl growing up in the public eye they can make a buck off of a boring story about me spun to be more interesting. It sucks, but I'm used to it. However, in no way am I asking you to get used to it. You shouldn't have to. I'm sorry that something like this surfaced so soon after we met.

I'd never want to hurt you or be a burden in any way.

I hope that this doesn't make you think less of me or make you want to rethink being my friend or moving forward from this.

On a happier note! Classes are going exceptionally well, George. I love this place. It's truly giving me something that I've always wanted, though I don't know how to put into words what that is. I love Flitwick. and Hagrid! I'm excited to be in his care of magical creatures class this half of the year. He seems amazing.

Harry is doing better, I believe. He seems it. Honestly though, how well can he actually be doing after everything that happened? But yes, love, Ginny and Ron are incredible. They're so sweet. I think Ginny and I are on track to being good friends. we talk Quidditch a lot. Plus she was telling me about upcoming Quidditch tryouts, which I'm very, very excited for! I hope I'll be able to participate in some way.

How are you? How's the shop? The family?

I miss you!

Love,

Hudson Lu"

Only a few moments after the letter to George was composed, I saw a figure walking towards me. Once it got closer I realized it was Draco. He came over and sat near me, but not too close.

"You can't start sitting here. This is my place." He said, giving me a stern look. "Always has been."

I frowned a bit, cocking my head to the side a little bit. "Sorry, Malfoy, but when did we get assigned seats?"

He broke out into a playful chuckle. "Since I decided that I don't want to share." He pointed out.

I nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I just really needed to be alone for a bit to compose some thoughts. I've got a few things on my plate."

"Like how you're going to tell your parents you've disgraced them by dating a Weasley?"

I looked at him, giving him an unamused look. "If you want people to think you're a better person you've got to learn to bite your tongue."

He sighed and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. Habit. I don't have anything against the Weasley's..." He mumbled, looking down. "I feel sorry for them, really."

Seeing Draco admit something like that - showing that he had a heart somewhere underneath the tons of sarcasm and smart-assery - made me happy. I knew that he wasn't what he appeared to be. I knew that from the moment I heard his name, from the first stories I heard. There was something far more complex there than anyone knew. I was sure of it, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't intrigue me.


End file.
